Laser Physics at the Limits

ISBN-13: 9783540424185 / Angielski / Twarda / 2001 / 522 str.

Hartmut Figger; Dieter Meschede; Claus Zimmermann

Opis

Laser physics has always been driven by a genuinely scientific quest to extend existing limits, limits of physical knowledge and limits of physical methods. Enhancing precision, sensitivity, and resolution has been an essential topic of this evolution. Experiments and concepts of laser physics have also earned a central place in modern physics. More than 100 years after the invention of quantum physics, subtleties of light-matter interaction can be beautifully illustrated through the application of lasers, an invaluable highlight of our current presentation of modern microscopic physics. The scientific advancement of physics is impossible without the ingenuity of experimenters and of theoreticians. Among those, Theodor Hansch has oc- cupied a commanding position for many decades now, contributing numerous original and fundamental contributions to the field of laser physics. This vol- urne was thus initiated on the occasion of his 60th birthday. It demonstrates the influence of his scientific activities at present and during the recent past. Current developments in fields such as atomic elocks, precision measurements of fundamental constants, nonlinear optical effects, Bose-Einstein condensa- tion, and atomic quantum engineering underline the virtue of concepts and results derived in his laboratories.

Recenzje

"This fascinating and detailed volume elucidates the developments that have pushed, and continue to push, the limits of precision. Springer has a volume worthy of inclusion in the library of any university offering a laser physics or laser applications course or researching in the area."

John Holdsworth, School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle (The Physicist, Australian Institute of Physics, Vol. 39, 2002)

 

"This volume will prove useful for many years to come and, equally important, it will survive extensive use during these years. Thus it is highly recommended for those who want an in-depth introduction to laser physics."
Gary J. Long, Fernande Grandjean (Physicalia, Vol. XXXVII, 2002)

Spis treści

Application of Atomic Clocks.- Achievements in Optical Frequency Metrology.- Towards an Optical Hydrogen Clock.- Methane Frequency Standard for Precision Measurements.- The Parametric Frequency-Interval Divider.- External Laser Stabilization.- Miniaturized Laser Magnetometers and Clocks.- High-Noise, Low-Resolution Spectroscopy.- Two-Photon Spectroscopy of Hydrogen.- Precision Spectroscopy on the Lyman-? Transitions of H and He.- Towards Laser Spectroscopy of Antihydrogen.- Ramseyfication of the Resonant Nonlinear Faraday Effect.- Sensitive Detection Techniques of Laser Overtone Spectroscopy.- Multiple-Beam Atom Interferometry: An Overview.- Pursuing Fundamental Physics with Novel Laser Technology.- Precision Optical Measurements and Fundamental Constants.- Quantum Electrodynamics and All That.- Lasers to Test Fundamental Physics in Space.- Measuring the Birefringence of the QED Vacuum.- Observing Mechanical Dissipation in Quantum Vacuum: An Experimental Challenge.- Precision in Length.- Probing an Optical Field with Atomic Resolution.- From Spectral Relaxation to Quantified Decoherence.- Laser Cooling of Trapped Ions.- Conditional Spin Resonance with Trapped Ions.- From Diode Laser to Atom Laser.- Optical Components for a Robust Bose—Einstein Condensation Experiment.- From Atoms to Single Biomolecules Through Bose—Einstein Condensates: Un Saluto da Firenze per Theodor.- Cavity Cooling with a Hot Cavity.- Zeeman-Tuned Slowing: Surfing the Resonance Wave.- A New Approach for Laser Cooling of Calcium.- The Design of Enhancement Cavities for Second Harmonic Generation.- Raman Technique for Femtosecond Pulse Generation.- High-Order Harmonics and White Light: Looking for Fringes and Finding Much More.- MeV Electrons and Positrons from a Femtosecond Table-Top Laser System.- Small Molecules in Intense Laser Fields — Dissociation and Stabilization.- Linear and Nonlinear Raman Spectroscopy of Gases.- Nonlinear Properties of Laser-Generated Giant Surface Acoustic Wave Pulses in Solid Materials.- Radiative Control and Quantum Engineering: Single Atom Wants to Meet Single Photon.- Optical Lattices as a Playground for Studying Multiparticle Entanglement.- Efficient Generation of Polarization-Entangled Photon Pairs with a Laser Diode Source.- Small is Beautiful.- Atomic Looping.- A Toroidal Magnetic Guide for Neutral Atoms.- Si29 Nanoparticles: A New Form of Silicon.- Molecular Self-Assembly.

O autorze

Claus Zimmermann is Professor for Experimental Physics at the University of Tübingen in Germany. In 1990 he attained his doctorate at the Max-Planck Institut for Quantum Optics in Munich in the research group of Prof. T. Hänsch. He was appointed full Professor at the University of Tübingen in 1998. His scientific activities range from laser development, non-linear optics and precision spectroscopy to optical cooling and ultra cold quantum gases.

Blurb

This book contains contributions written by the world-leading scientists in high-resolution laser spectroscopy, quantum optics and laser physics. Emphasis is placed on precision related to results in a variety of fields, such as atomic clocks, frequency standards, and the measurement of physical constants in atomic physics. Furthermore, illustrations and engineering applications of the fundamentals of quantum mechanics are widely covered. It has contributions by Nobel prize winners Norman F. Ramsey, Steven Chu, and Carl E. Wieman and is dedicated to Theodor W. Hänsch on the occasion of his 60th birthday.